Tag: American history

  • America First by H.W. Brands

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for America First: The pilot vs. the president. The pilot crashed hard. Quick synopsis: The story of when FDR and Charles Lindbergh battled publicly over isolationism before World War II.   Fact for Non-History People: When FDR contracted the illness which would leave him unable to walk, he initially was paralyzed from…

  • The Great Black Hope by Louis Moore

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Great Black Hope: I have never been more unqualified to do a review. Quick synopsis: The story of NFL quarterbacks Doug Williams, Vince Evans, and the controversy around Black quarterbacks.   Fact for Non-History People: In 1968, 24 out of 32 cornerbacks were Black. However, the entire league was only…

  • Targeted: Beirut by Jack Carr and James Scott

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Targeted: Beirut: Very dangerous fish stuck in a barrel. Quick synopsis: The story of the 1983 U.S. Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut.   Fact for Non-History People: When the Marines first occupied the airport in Lebanon, they had to clear away 125 different types of unexploded ordinance from 19 different countries.…

  • Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter: You are going to hate someone, but it’s not who you think. Quick synopsis: The story of the 1989 disappearance of Aundria Bowman. Fact for Non-History People: 460,000 children are reported missing each year in the U.S. Fact for History Nerds: There are about 150,000…

  • Tuskegee Airmen by Samuel de Korte

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Tuskegee Airmen: I wouldn’t want to mess with them. Quick synopsis: The true story of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II.   Fact for Non-History People: The airmen won over 850 medals. Fact for History Nerds: 150 Tuskegee Airmen lost their lives in World War II. My Take on Tuskegee…

  • The Daring Exploits of Pirate Black Sam Bellamy by Jaime Goodall

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Daring Exploits of Pirate Black Sam Bellamy: Pirates, witches, and Cape Cod. Quick synopsis: The story of the notorious pirate Black Sam Bellamy. Fact for Non-History People: By some measures, Bellamy is the richest pirate ever with about $120 million stolen by today’s estimates. (Disclaimer: This is a really hard…

  • Marquis de Lafayette Returns by Elizabeth Reese

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Marquis de Lafayette Returns: That’s my boy right there! Quick synopsis: The story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s return to the U.S. years after the revolution. Fact for Non-History People: Lafayette spent about $250,000 of his own money during the revolution ($5 million today). Fact for History Nerds: The throat infection…

  • Our Flag Was Still There by Tom McMillan

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Our Flag Was Still There: This book is a Star-Spangled Banger. Quick synopsis: The story of the flag over Fort McHenry both before and after the battle. Fact for Non-History People: Francis Scott Key’s son was murdered in the middle of Washington D.C. over an affair. Fact for History Nerds: The…

  • Combing Through the White House by Theodore Pappas

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Combing Through the White House: Talk about some hairy situations! (I’ll see myself out.) Quick synopsis: A book about presidential hair. Yes, you read that correctly. Fact for Non-History People: Lincoln was clean-shaven for a good portion of his life until a young girl wrote him a letter suggesting he grow…